Question:
is it true with chinchillas that red eyes denote inbreeding...........as in guinea pigs...........how do you tell if you are getting a good chin????? besides word of mouth about a breeder?


Answer:
No, red eyes do not indicate a sign of inbreeding, they are merely a gene that some colors have.
As for looking for a good chin, you can tell (obviously) by word of mouth, the state the breeder keeps his/her animals in (not just chins), the types of cages and play areas you see, if the breeder is able to talk about her chins without hesitation, and offers to show you around to see all of her animals, also on the quality of the chins fur (soft, thick, etc) and the state they are in, ie skittish, friendly, etc etc etc.
Hope this helped,
Shayna


Answer:
I have never heard the inbreeding eye thing before. Chins with the beige gene (pink whites, beiges, etc.) will have pink eyes. Nothing to do with inbreeding though.
You mean a good quality chin? You can tell a good quality chin by looking at them, and touching them. You just have to go in with your eyes open, and know what features you need/want in a chin. If buying a chin via someone distant, of course, all you will have is pictures to go on. It's hard to show any good qualities in a chinchilla via pictures.


Answer:
i wasnt sure.....i met a guinea pig breeder and she gave me a tip that if the eyes were pink/red (besides the albino) then they were inbred........i was just wondering if this is true re chinnies.........my chin didnt have the red to the eye......and a pet shop i was in recently (known for its poor quality of animals) had one lone chin and the eyes were red.........so thats why i asked.....thanks for your input.


Answer:
That chin was probably a beige.
Where did you get your chin?


Answer:
Any chin with the beige gene will have red eyes, some more so than others. I have one that his eyes are a pink color and have seen some whose eyes are a deep ruby.
A sign that I look for when I am purchasing a chin is the impression that I get from talking to them, do they sound knowledgeable about their animals. My "chin room" is always available to be seen. I have had people on several occasion call and come in 5 minutes to look at chins. (then you have to excuse the bedding on the floor ). I feel that for people to trust me and my chins they should be able to see my set-up. I look for people that are comfortable around their chins and they are comfortable around the person. I think a first impression says most of it.


Answer:
i know in rats and mice, there is the albino gene that causes pink eyed whites...and there is a ruby eye gene which works pretty much like a cream gene, lightening the foundation color...
i would imagine it would be similar in guinea pigs, so the statement that any guinea pig with red eyes that isn't albino is inbred is probably a false statement, or one based on lack of facts about line and inbreeding and how to establish a strong line
http://www.sigissauhaufen.de/frameengl.html
here is a page, if you click on the link on the left that says genetics, it kind of explains it a little..and is as i suspected, there is an albino gene and a pink eyed gene...
now, to establish just about any really strong line, there is usually some in and line breeding involved...this is NOT a bad thing, if it is done in the name of strengthening the line rather than just producing numbers...it is a magnificent way to determine if there are any faults in that line that should not be continued, and a way to magnify the positive traits as well.
so, basically, saying that a guinea pig who is not white but has pink or red eyes is inbred is false..it just means that it is has the p gene
so, i would guess it holds true in just about all other critters, including chins.
and as was said before, i think the most important factor in determining a person's breeding credentials is either word of mouth (if they are established) or if they are just starting, seeing their place, asking lots and lots of questions, visiting a few times, seeing how the animals are cared for, how the animals act around people and just going with your gut instinct sometimes!